A mini guide to
Stornoway, the Calanais Stones, blackhouses and the Butt of Lewis
1 / 8Welcome to the area
Lewis is the northern part of the largest island in the Outer Hebrides, and Stornoway, its harbour town, is the largest settlement in the islands. The ferry from Ullapool and most flights arrive here, and Lews Castle, with Museum nan Eilean, stands in its grounds just west of the town centre.
The west side holds the main historic sites: the Neolithic Calanais Stones, the broch of Dun Carloway, the thatched blackhouses at Arnol and Gearrannan, and the tall standing stone Clach an Trushal. The road north ends at Ness and the red-brick lighthouse on the Butt of Lewis, and Uig in the far west has the wide sands where the Lewis chessmen were found in 1831.
Highlights
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Neolithic stone circle with stone rows, built around 2750 BC and cared for by Historic Environment Scotland, with a visitor centre nearby.
Directions Website Report a problem with Calanais Standing Stones
Well-preserved broch on a rocky knoll above Loch Carloway; on its east side the wall still stands about 9 metres high.
Nine restored thatched cottages by the shore at Garenin, lived in until 1974; now holiday cottages, a café and a hostel.
Directions Website Report a problem with Gearrannan Blackhouse Village
Fully furnished thatched blackhouse where a family and its animals once lived under one roof, run by Historic Environment Scotland.
Victorian country house built in the 1840s for Sir James Matheson; the modern extension houses Museum & Tasglann nan Eilean, opened in 2016.
Directions Website Report a problem with Lews Castle and Museum nan Eilean
Arts centre on the Stornoway waterfront with an art gallery, a cinema, an auditorium and a café bar.
Find your way
The map shows Isle of Lewis & Stornoway and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Many Free Church members on Lewis keep a strict Sabbath, and some services and businesses close or run less on Sundays. Check opening before you plan a Sunday.
CalMac recommends vehicle reservations on the Ullapool to Stornoway crossing, and summer sailings fill up.
Several visitor sites and cafés close for the winter; Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, for example, says it is closed for the rest of 2026. Check each website first.
Calanais, Carloway and Arnol lie on the west side, and Ness and the Butt are at the far north end, so plan a car or a bus day for each.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
The Outer Hebrides
White beaches, the Bays, Tarbert and the church at Rodel
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Machair, chambered cairns and causeways from Berneray to Eriskay
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Kisimul Castle, the beach airport and the sands of Vatersay
Open the mini guide →Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring The Outer Hebrides
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